Best Ice Cream Shops in London

Ice creams that will make you melt. Visit these London ice-cream parlours and you'll never order a 99 flake ever again!

The Parlour

With the mouthwatering prospect of cocktail floats and cocktail sundaes served alongside a selection of ice creams, sorbets and frozen ice cream, suddenly a family day out at this Central London ice cream parlour becomes very appealing. Plus, what a great excuse to nosey around the rest of Fortnum & Mason, where The Parlour is located.

Recommended:Visitors to The Parlour can't get enough of the Salted Caramel, Strawberries & 12-Year Old Balsamic Vinegar and Sandringham Coffee.

Amorino

Global ice cream specialist Amorino aims for the highest quality and refuses to use artificial colours or flavourings. Order your ice cream in a cone and it'll come presented in a flower shape. Blooming marvellous!

Recommended: Pistachio, L'Inimitable (hazelnut) and Mango Sorbet have customers coming back time and again.

Black Vanilla

In the historic heart of Greenwich, Black Vanilla is shaking things up with a seasonal menu of gelato and sorbet that changes daily – and is made fresh that day. Signature flavours include Wild Strawberries & Clotted Cream and Stem Ginger & Acacia Honey.

Recommended: So many to chose from, but the Espresso Sorbet is exceedingly popular, as is the Blood Orange Granita (the oranges for which are sourced direct from Sicily).

Häagen-Dazs

Choosing your favourite flavour of ice cream is half the fun at Häagen-Dazs's flagship shop, which is located right bang on Leicester Square. The huge menu includes ice creams, sorbets, milkshakes… and with many more flavours than your average Häagen-Dazs supermarket selection.

Le Gelatiera

Using 100% natural ingredients from artisan suppliers, this tiny Covent Garden gem makes its gelato daily, on-site. Its unique flavour combinations are sure to get you salivating such as Basil and Chili; Honey, Rosemanry and Oragne Zest; and Porcini Mushroom and Chocolate Cream. Grab a small tub or cone, or even take home a large tub to share. Soon you'll be able to visit La Gelatiera's new ice-cream-making lab in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, where you can see the artisans in action.

Recommended: Basil and Chili. The balance of refreshing basil and the kick of chili is perfect on a hot day.

Riley The Ice Cream Cafe

It might be small in size but Riley Ice Cream Cafe thinks big. This North London stop-off has all your classic favourites, alongside more unusual flavours inspired by other popular sweet treats, such as Turkish Delight, Biscotto and Nutella.

Recommended: Classic vanilla and chocolate, plus natural varieties such as raspberry and lemon.

Snowflake Gelato

A good option for those watching their waistline, Snowflake Gelato’s offerings contain half the fat of a traditional ice cream – meaning you can twice as much, right? Among their range is a good selection of gluten-free gelato and vegan alternatives. Pick from the likes of Apple and Elderflower, Peach, and Lychee. There are also sundaes, shakes, waffles and granitas to try at their venues across London, including one at Selfridge's.

Recommended: Try the unusual Date and Honey, it's sticky and sweet.

Marine Ices

Mamma mia! At Marine Ices, the ice creams are "made the Italian way". We're not sure how that's different but the flavours sure taste delicious and super-natural.

Recommended:As well as the staples like chocolate and vanilla, the Ferrero Rocher and White Chocolate are winners.

Oddono's

"Life's too short to eat bad ice cream" is the slogan, and Oddono's works hard to supply an alternative with its expanding London empire (there are six London outlets) of natural gelato, made daily at its Artisan Laboratory.

Recommended: Out of Oddono's 130 flavours, pistachio is top of the popularity charts, with hazelnut and Oreo not far behind.

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